Ireland

FRAME:   'Though nowhere numerous even in England, and in Ireland not associated with any particular locality, the name Frame is on record in this country since the sixteenth century when one Robert Frame of Carrick-on-Suir was in the employment of the Earl of Ormond and in 1577 was a lessee on the Ormond estate. We meet it again 1664, this time in Co. Armagh where John Frame was a householder at Derrycughan, and twice in the Donegal hearth money rolls of the next year. A little later we find them in Cork, as three marriage licence bonds (the first is 1700) and wills of 1719 and 1726 attest. In the next century they are located in various parts of Ulster and in our own time the name has been prominent in the industrial life of Dublin.'     [Supplement to Irish Families (1964) by Edward MacLysaght]      

Thus far, of all of the eligible surnames in this Project, only the FRAME variant seems to have been present in Ireland prior to 1700.  Other surnames noticed in various records up to and including the 19th century were: Fraime, Fream, Freame, Freamey, Freeham, Freme, Fremy, Freamy, Friemie, Frim, Frimes, Frome, Froom and Froome.  However, in Ireland, just as in England and Scotland, the dominant variant is FRAME.

Some early individuals:

1577:    ROBERT FRAME fl. 1577 of Carrick-on-Suir was the earliest Frame individual discovered to date in Ireland. On 28 Apr 1577, a grant for 21 years of the towns, lands etc. of Parish Fennogh (Fenoagh) Co. Waterford was made to Robert Frame by Richard Shee as the attorney of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde. See Here.

Frames are known to have settled in Northern Ireland from the beginning of the 17th century, but Robert Frame seems to have been a rare and early exception in the south. It seems possible that Robert Frame may have arrived in Ireland temp. Henry VIII or Elizabeth I:  

    'In 1540, Elizabeth’s father, the great Henry VIII, had assumed the title of king of Ireland. The extent of his power, however, extended little beyond Dublin. Elizabeth was determined to pacify, feudalize, and colonize the Emerald Isle. After the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the queen was determined to resettle Irish lands with loyal and Protestant subjects from Great Britain. Although two “plantations” failed in Ulster during the 1570s, Elizabeth continued to attract British farmers, merchants, and craftsmen to Ireland.'  [Stephen M. Millett, THE SCOTTISH SETTLERS OF AMERICA – The 17th and 18th Centuries, 1996, pp.27-8]

Many early Irish records have not survived and from those that are available in the later period there is no evidence to indicate that Robert Frame left a line of descendants in Tipperary or Waterford where he settled, although a 'Freme' is known to have married in Waterford in 1863. Records may be lost, or perhaps Robert Frame did not marry or his lineage became extinct.

1629 - 1633:

A Richard Frame had four children baptised in Dublin between 1629 and 1633 [Source:  James Miles. The Registers of St. John the Evangelist, Dublin, 1699. Dublin: Alexander Thom & Co., Ltd., 1906.]. These are also rare records for Frame in Ireland in this early period and nothing is known for certain in relation to Richard Frame's ancestry.  

 1665:

There were several entries for Fram/Frame/Framm in the Donegal Hearth Money Rolls in 1665:

• Archibald Framm of Castletorris, Raphoe Parish

• Thomas Fram of Drumgumerlan, Raphoe Parish

• John Fram in Raymochy Parish

• James Frame of Legm'aduffe, Tullaghferne Parish

The Frames recorded in the Donegal hearth money rolls may or may not have had some connection to a FRAME family, said to be from Essex, England who settled in Castlefinn, Donegal and later, Canada.  Extract: 

'THE FRAMES, according to family tradition, are of English stock and originally from the County of Essex, England.

Early in the 17th century a member of the family settled in the north of Ireland. We have no definite account of his descendants until the time of Matthew Frame, son of Archibald Frame and his second wife, Mary Crowe.

One little story-told by Matthew Frame to his granddaughter, Elizabeth throws a flashlight on the character of a Frame who lived in the troubled years of the latter part of the 17th century. "During the siege of Londonderry in 1689 the Frame of that time eluded the besiegers and many times made his way through the lines carrying sacks of cheese and pease to-the starving garrison."

0.0 Archibald Frame, farmer, of Castlefinn, was twice married and Matthew Frame left older half-brothers on the farm when he came to Nova Scotia in 1766. Archibald Frame's second wife was Mary Crowe and their only child was the writer's great grandfather, Matthew Frame. Mary Crowe Frame had a life interest in the farm and remained with her stepsons. Archibald Frame died when his son, Matthew, was a child.'

1684:

Legend has it that JOHN FRAME from Loudoun, Ayrshire, fled from Scotland to Ireland during the persecutions of the Covenanter period:

John Richmond the martyr of Galston, Ayrshire who suffered at the cross of Glasgow in March 1684,  condemned John Fram and three others in his last speech and testimony:

     ‘Now, as I said before, I am to lay down my life this day, for the defence of the Gospel at Drumclog, and for the defence of the Gospel at Hamilton, and for hearing of Mr John King preach upon the Greenhill End, being the east end of Galston Moor, and for being in company with John Nisbet; and of all the four articles, I am not ashamed this day; these counted criminal by the enemies of my Lord, whose Gospel-standard I desire to defend with life and fortune. I say, these being counted criminal, witness being led, proved the same, and witnessed me to death. If these had been enemies, I could have borne it; but it was they, mine acquaintance, mine equal, my guide, and we took sweet counsel together, and went into the House of God together (Psalm Iv. 12-14). So it was these that went a good length, and were also as deeply engaged as I was, yea, to defend my life, and not to have witnessed me to death; for what they have witnessed, I am not ashamed of; but this I leave behind me, my testimony against them ; and my blood will be charged home upon them, and, without repentance prevent it, both upon them and their posterity; and I set down their names, that they may stand on record, and their names be known to aftercoming generations, their names being these—John Loudon in Mill of New Milns, John Paterson in Slacks, John Fram in Tonslen, James Connel in Bankherd.* I set them down here, that their names may be a stink and illsavour to aftercoming generations, as apostate from the way of God, Demas-like, have forsaken the way of God, and chosen a present world; and now have not holden them there, but have become followers of the people of God to the death, by their engagement and oaths to the enemies, taking that hell-hatched thing called the Test.’

 * N.B.—That the above-mentioned John Loudon became poor, and his posterity are now reduced to beggary, notwithstanding they had of heritage six or seven thousand merks' worth. John Paterson died at Edinburgh of the Frenchpox. John Fram was broke, and fled to Ireland, and, as it is commonly reported, he was hanged there for stealing of horse. James Connel became miserable, and his posterity are in want. They were in fellowship with John Richmond, and were equally guilty with him in everything for which he was condemned; but their falling from the truth, the enemy made use of them to witness him to death. —Note by the editor of the third edition of the " Cloud " in 1730.

[John Henderson Thomson, A CLOUD OF WITNESSES FOR THE ROYAL PREROGATIVES OF JESUS CHRIST: Being the last speeches and testimonies of those who have suffered for the truth in Scotland since the year 1680, 1714, pp.344-345]

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‘JOHN FRAM in Loudoun parish, was once a most zealous professor and in fellowship with John Richmond the martyr, yet to save his life, foully apostatized not only from the cause of Christ, but also was one of these who witnessed him to death. After which he became a bankrupt, and fled to Ireland; where it was said that he (who would not hang for religion) was there hanged for stealing of horses.’ 

[John Howie, BIOGRAPHIA SCOTOCANA: SCOTS WORTHIES, 2009,  p.534]

ULSTER SCOTS

Three major groups were represented in the Ulster plantation: English/Anglican, Scottish/Presbyterian, and Irish/Catholic (see Newsome, following). We know that there were Frame families from Scotland in the early migrations. However, it is also possible that some of the English Freme / Freame / Frame families settled in Ulster as well.

According to Millett, from about 1600 to when the Irish Rebellion began in 1641, as many as 200,000 Scottish Lowlanders settled in Ulster. Further Scottish immigration into Ulster occurred from 1660 to 1688 as well as in the early 18th centuries. Ulster provided economic opportunities and religious sanctuary to Lowland Presbyterians. Millett stated that not all of the new Ulstermen were Scottish, but that the Scots dominated northern County Antrim while the English dominated southern Antrim. Scottish Presbyterians also dominated Counties Down, Tyrone, Londonderry, and Donegal; the English held most of Monahan and Armagh. The Scots who resettled in Ulster  mostly originated in Ayr, Dumfries, Renfrew, Dumbarton and Lanark. The next largest group came from the Lothians and the Borders.   [Stephen M. Millett, Ph.D., FSA Scot., THE SCOTTISH SETTLERS OF AMERICA, 1996, pp.28-29]. 

The following was extracted from THE MIGRATION OF THE SCOTS-IRISH TO SOUTHWESTERN NC  by Matthew A.C. Newsome, 2001:

   'In 1603 King James VI of Scotland inherited the English and Irish thrones, uniting the crowns and making him King James I of England, Scotland and Ireland. Of course, his rule in Ireland was titular only. There was really no effective rule to be had. James was a very Protestant king, and Ireland was still an extremely Catholic nation. James was of the opinion that the only way to pacify the recently conquered Irish was by planting Protestant, English speaking loyalists among them...

...James granted these lands to two major ranks of men. First were the undertakers—men of high rank who were granted between 1,000 and 2,000 acres and could rent only to Scottish or English tenants. Second were the servitors—military men and government administrators, who received similar grants but could also rent to the Irish. Some native Irish received small grants of 100 to 200 acres, and could likewise rent to Irish.

Men were eager to move from their homes in southern Scotland to Ulster mainly due to economic reasons. Lowland Scotland in the 17th century was becoming overpopulated. The land was harsh. Rents were high. And Ulster was a familiar territory not that far away. Scots settling in Ulster could expect to rent land for a period of 21 to 31 years, sometimes longer (as much as three lifetimes). This was seen as a sure way to improve one’s economic standing. By 1619 over 8000 families had relocated to Ulster. By 1715 over 1/3 of Ulster’s 600,000 inhabitants were Scottish.

The lands of Ulster lent themselves to the same farming practices that these families knew in Scotland. Large herds of sheep or cattle, supplemented by small crop farms, consisting of an infield that would be sewn and harvested each year and receive much fertilization, and an outfield that would be planted for a few years with no fertilization, then left fallow for several years to rejuvenate.

There were three major ethnic groups and three religions in the Ulster plantation. These were English/Anglican, Scottish/Presbyterian, and Irish/Catholic. The Irish resentment of occupation by Protestants made them more devoutly Catholic than ever. They took to it as a badge of their ethnicity. The Anglican Church, because of the English conquest, was the official Church of Ireland. Penal laws were established for those who did not accept it. These laws often came into play among the Scottish Presbyterians as well, who found themselves more and more isolated as a religious community.

The native Irish, though displaced from their land holdings, remained by and large as cheap laborers. They were extremely hostile towards the newcomers, however, whom they viewed as foreign heretics. Most of the estates of the landowners had to be walled and fortified.

Surrounded by hostile Catholics and feeling oppressed by the government sanctioned Anglican church, Scottish Presbyterians became more and more defensive and intolerant of other religions. They were able to maintain close ties with the Presbyterian Church in Scotland by frequent back and forth travel of ministers. One common occurrence in both Ulster and Scotland was the “holy fair.” This was a large outdoor gathering marked by preaching of the hellfire and brimstone variety, a call for personal conversion as a mark of salvation, and meditation. Such gatherings often aroused strong emotional responses, resulting in crying, shouting and even fainting.

There were differences between the Scottish and Irish Presbyterianism, however. In Scotland, it was the sanctioned church and had government support. In Ulster, no such support existed. Because of persecution in Ulster, the Presbyterian church there became very determined not to compromise or yield to outside forces. Local parishes were the strength of the church, each with its own interpretation of Calvinism. There was little authority or unity among them, other than the Calvinist framework. It was a very democratic and rather opinionated group.'

1606:  From: The Hamilton & Montgomery Settlement of 1606: The Dawn of the Ulster-Scots

'Not plantation, not conquest, not invasion. Settlement.

In terms of Irish history, the period from 1603 – 1610 is perhaps the most influential, as it includes the Union of the Crowns in 1603, the Flight of the Earls in 1607 and the Plantation of (the west of) Ulster in 1610. Many claim that this era has defined Ireland’s history right up to the present day.

However the story of the Hamilton & Montgomery Settlement of 1606 is largely overlooked. Most histories of Ireland and Scotland don’t mention it at all, and in most histories of Ulster it is only given a few sentences. Yet it was the foundational event of the era, and the single most important event in Ulster-Scots history. Everything that followed was built on the achievements of Hamilton and Montgomery.' 

Ulster was certainly the 'hotspot' for the Frame surname in the Emerald Isle and even today (2013), more  than 70 Frames are living in Belfast alone.  It would appear that some Frame families may have followed Hamilton and Montgomery to Ireland in 1606 where they would have been settled in Antrim and Down. Other Frames likely joined the 1610 Plantation of Ulster or later migrations. Legend has it that some Frame families fled Scotland for Ireland to avoid religious persecution. 

Relevant snippets from various sources:

‘The Scottish migration to Ireland was initiated by the acquisition of land by two Ayrshire families – Sir James Hamilton from Dunlop, and Hugh Montgomery Sixth Laird of Braidstone. Both men were private adventurers before the formal Plantation scheme commenced in 1610...’

‘Sir James Hamilton, later Viscount Clandeboye came from the Dunlop area of Ayrshire, where his father was the Rev Hans Hamilton. The family owned lands in Raploch, Lanarkshire for some 400 years…’ 

‘Mainly Presbyterian settlers, those on the Hamilton Estates in the 1600’s, included [among many other families]:…Frame…’

[Brian J. Orr, ORR-SOME RESEARCH INTO THE ORR FAMILY, 2007, pp.48-49]

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‘…From this statement of the author it is evident that a large number of settlers had come with Sir Hugh Montgomery to the Ards during the first four years of his colonization. It is to be regretted that no list of these original settlers can now be found. Among them, were several named Orr, who appear to have originally settled in the townlands of Ballyblack and Ballykeel, and were the progenitors of a very numerous connexion of this surname throughout the Ards. The earliest recorded deaths in this connexion, after their settlement in the Ards, were those of James Orr of Ballyblack, who died in the year 1627, and Jane M’Clement, his wife, who died in 1636. The descendants, male and female,  of this worthy couple were very numerous, and as they have been carefully recorded, we have thus, fortunately, a sort of index to the names of many other families of Scottish settlers in the Ards and Castlereagh. Their descendants in the male line intermarried with the families of [among many other families]: …Frame …’

 ‘The descendants in the female line from James Orr and Janet M’Clement of Ballyblack intermarried with [among many other families]: …Frame of Monlough…’  (Many thanks to C. Janczuk for contributing to the research that pinpoints the origins of Project patriarch Samuel Frame who m. Mary Orr, of the Orr family of Tullyhubbert near Monlough.  

[William Montgomery, of Rosemount, THE MONTGOMERY MANUSCRIPTS: (1603-1706) Comp. from Family Papers, pp.66-67]

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'County Antrim is only 13 miles from Scotland (between Torr Head and the Mull of Kintyre). County Down is only 18 miles from Scotland (between Donaghadee and Portpatrick). The close proximity of these two counties to Scotland has created a special relationship over thousands of years, with many migrations in both directions...'

'Hamilton was from Dunlop in Ayrshire, was an academic and had been a founder of Trinity College in Dublin. His new territory included the entire River Bann and the area around Coleraine, as well as a major part of County Down which took in Bangor, part of Comber, Killyleagh, Dundonald and some of the Ards Peninsula. Montgomery was the Sixth Laird of Braidstane and had been a mercenary in the wars in Holland. His new territory included Newtownards, Donaghadee, part of Comber, Greyabbey and a large portion of the Ards Peninsula. Hamilton and Montgomery can rightly be called “The Founding Fathers of the Ulster Scots”.

The thousands of settlers they brought over absolutely transformed the region. The success of their settlement in Antrim and Down must have reassured King James VI & 1 of his Plantation in Virginia (at Jamestown) in 1607, and without doubt inspired the Plantation of the rest of Ulster which started in 1610.' 

Rev. Professor James Heron, D.D., of The Assembly's College, Belfast, Ireland provides additional details of the Scottish origins of the Ulster-Scots:

'As to the parts of Scotland from which the Ulster settlers came there is no controversy, and they may be indicated in a sentence or two. As we gather from such records as the Hamilton and Montgomery MSS., Hill's account of the Plantation, the State Calendars, Commissioners' Reports in the "Carew MSS.," Pynnar's "Survey," and other contemporary documents, the districts of Scotland which supplied the Ulster colonists of the seventeenth century may be grouped conveniently under three heads—namely:

WHENCE THEY CAME

(1) Galloway and the Scottish counties included in the ancient kingdom of Strathclyde—Dumbartonshire, Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, and Dumfriesshire;

(2) The counties around Edinburgh—Edinburghshire, Haddingtonshire, and Berwickshire; and

(3) The district lying between Aberdeen and Inverness, corresponding to the ancient province of Moray.

It should be noted here, however, that a certain portion of Scotland was expressly excluded from the privilege (if it was a privilege) of sharing in the Ulster Plantation. It was made a necessary condition that the colonists, both of the higher and lower ranks, must have been "born in England or the inward parts of Scotland." This restriction of authorised Scottish settlers to those born in "the inward parts" of the country was evidently designed to exclude Argyllshire and the Isles; that is to say, the Scottish Dalriada, the parts of Scotland inhabited by Celts from Ireland. It was manifestly for the express purpose of excluding them that the restriction referred to was made. They were not the sort of people that were wanted.'